Spanish women are angry about European handball rules that force female players to wear skimpy bikinis accusing sports officials of using their bodies to "lure people to the sport".

Under regulations set by the European Handball Federation, female beach handball players have to wear bikini tops and bottoms that are no wider than four inches (10cm) "to leave their stomachs exposed".

Players can face penalties for covering up and the row flared up after officials warned the Spanish Handball Federation last weekend that 21 of 22 female teams playing in a tournament were wearing team kits that covered up the body too much.

Spain's Basque Handball Association has presented an official complaint to the European Commission to have the rules changed because male players are allowed to wear clothing that is "loose and long".

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"This isn't so that female players are more comfortable or play better," the Basque Women's Institute told the Spanish edition of the Huffington Post.

"It is there so that the girls' bodies lure people to the sport, it has nothing to do with sporting values."

The Basque campaign has been taken up by MEPs.

"The rule infringes on principles of equality, it's sexist and it puts the appearance of the players before their technical capabilities," said Izaskun Bilbao, an MEP for the Basque Nationalist Party, according to the Local website.

The campaigners have won the first round in their battle after Spain's main sports council described the regulations as "sexist" and allowed female beach handball players to choose their uniforms when playing national matches.